A consortium of Chinese companies has been created to invest in the production of graphene chips, whose performance is ten times higher than traditional silicon ones.
Since the beginning of 2021, the automotive industry has been feeling the consequences of the microchip crisis, such as the slowdown in production or the closure of some plants, which has caused delays in deliveries. Now we have learned that China has decided to bet on graphene instead of silicon to produce more chips.
The Asian giant has hosted the ninth edition of the International Graphene Convention in China, in which several companies, including The Chint Group, Shanghai Electric Cable Institute and Shanghai Graphene Industry Technology Functional Platform, have created a consortium to invest in the production of graphene-based chips.
The objective is to create internal solutions that offer a performance ten times higher than that offered by traditional silicon-based chips, thanks to the mobility of graphene electrons.
Graphene, the future of electric car batteries has its dangers
China decides to bet heavily on graphene and not on silicon to be able to produce more chips
Current silicon-based semiconductor technology will soon reach its limits. Graphene stands as an interesting successor to silicon, thanks to the mobility of its electrons, as we have said before, but also to the fact that its surface has few impurities.
This material is made up of a single hexagonal layer of carbon and is 200 times stronger than steel. At the same time, it has higher technical and electrical conductivity than copper, making it a better choice for making not just chips, but also batteries and heat sinks.
Another advantage is that it weighs very little, less than one milligram per square meter, which will also reduce the weight of the objects where they are used, such as cars.
The main problem: they are very expensive
China is not the only country that has shown interest in producing graphene chips. The problem is that its manufacture is difficult and, therefore, very expensive. In fact, a method for mass-producing graphene chips has been studied for decades without success.
Now, the newly created Chinese consortium intends to find a solution to this problem, with the intention of developing internal solutions and increasing its independence with other components.
The Chinese consortium was also born in a context of escalating tension between China and Taiwan, the world’s leading producer of microchips and an ally of the United States, which, in turn, maintains a series of trade blockades with China. A situation that is leading many Chinese companies to look for new options due to the need for semiconductors.
